The Gulf Coast is bracing for a major hurricane landfall late this week as Tropical Storm Helene is forecast to rapidly intensify into a Category 3 storm. Local governments and residents along the storm’s path are already preparing roads and bridges two days before Helene's expected landfall.
Helene is anticipated to accelerate toward the eastern gulf coast on Wednesday, trekking over water warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico that would act like jet fuel in intensifying the storm.
Official projections from the National Hurricane Center call for Helene to become a devastating Category 3 hurricane with peak sustained winds of 120 mph at landfall.
Depending on its strength and track, it could have huge impacts on the area. It is forecast to still be a tropical storm when passing through north Georgia. On Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for Georgia to activate resources for the aftermath of the storm.
“The hardest part of preparing for severe weather is not knowing the outcome,” said Kohantis Haygood, the senior supervisor for Cobb County, Ga. Drainage Division, in a statement.
Haygood and his team spent Tuesday preemptively attacking problem areas, according to a report from Atlantanewsfirst.com, including clearing ditches along roads or, in some cases, digging them.
“So, we’re cleaning out all of the debris, leaves, and whatever got caught up,” said Haygood. “Anything that could hinder the flow of the stormwater.”
"The dynamics of the storm change on a regular basis. So, every storm that comes our way, we treat it as a new storm," said Dennis Jones, CEMA director.
Both the Savannah Talmadge Bridge and the Thunderbolt Bridge are also being monitored closely ahead of the storm, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).
The department is in charge of determining whether these structures need to be temporarily closed due to wind conditions. According to GDOT, bridges must be closed when wind speeds reach gale force levels, which range between 39 and 45 miles per hour.
The decision to close any bridge will be based on real-time assessments, according to GDOT.
Source: Atlantanewsfirst.com, CBS News
